To feel sad that the 'corner shop' is now the 'parcel shop'?

[bananamilkshake123]

Prepared to be told AIBU as I use vinted and both send and collect parcels at times but I feel sad at how my local shop has now just become the parcel shop. I imagine this happens all over due to the popularity of selling sites and returns for online retailers.
Last time I went into our local shop my son couldn't even choose sweets as the kids shelves were completely blocked off by parcels awaiting collection. As I say, I'm aware that I'm probably part of the problem but I wonder if its just me who feels this way...

I can't understand why, in our local corner shops, there is only one person serving. You have to stand in the same as the people with parcels if you want to buy a sweets. And they parcel serving is so.............zzzzz...........slow. Here's a revolutionary idea. Why not have two people serving, like the old post offices did. One serves for shop produce, one for parcels.

Well, cost, of course.

Even most of the great big supermarkets only have two actual people actually serving at any one time!

That’s very true , they have so much competition from the big guys with their buying power and loss leaders that we shouldn’t see these small shops as overpriced.

I was about to say this . Paying for 2 people would presumably wipe out any profits

It’s the only reason some places are still open. I’ve seen some remodel to handle the new business flow better. Not something they want to do lightly because if the expense, but eventually they will figure out a way to make it all fit nicely.

Well, in our local corner shop and many of the others I've been in, there are often more than one person there, behind the till area. One stood doing very little while the other serves, then they swap. Can't they both serve at the same time? one on parcels, one on shop produce. They always used to, as I remember. In the not so near past, there was never just one person serving in a corner shop.

I don't thinķit makes a difference TBH. If your corner shop is crap a parcel service won't change that!
Nearly all the corner shops and garages near me do parcels, either in store or lockers outside. I wouldn't even have walked in the door if I didn't parcels to collect so it clearly does increase potential customers!

The problem is, people won't go to their town centre for two years and when they do go be shocked at how much it has changed/the amount of vape shops and barbers. But if people aren't going into town for 2 years at a time how can nice traditional shops stay open? Three chicken shops are better than three bordered up shop fronts even if I would rather have a florist.
And a small shop doubling as a parcel shop sounds a better compromise than closing down altogether.
People can't change their spending habits and the be surprised when the shops also change.

Some of these 'corner shops' have started doing the parcel service but it is obvious they hate doing it. You are made to feel like a inconvenience for asking for a parcel and then it can (what seems like) take ages for them to find it.

Last time I picked up a parcel, I was told off by the shop assistant because the size of the parcel was too big. It wasn't even that big! The item I ordered was packaged in a much bigger box.

When there is an option to pick up from a locker, I choose that every time. Much easier.

our little off license which doubles as a post office was so crammed full of parcels the last time i went, it was a monday though and their busiest day

Likely because the fee they'll get for dealing with parcels will be tiny and Evri etc will have sold it to them as 'increase footfall and sales for your shop' but most people won't buy anything and just collect/drop off their parcel. More people paying by card will have likely also hit their income because a lot of contracts have a fixed fee per transaction which takes a big chunk of the profit for a small sale.

A lot of convenience store owners probably don't even make NMW for the hours they work especially those who are open long hours 7 days a week.

My Evri/Post Office/corner shop have 2 queues "shop only" and "parcels/post office" so if you're just popping in for milk/bread you're served quickly.